Chapter 1
The young girl charged through the forest no longer taking care to stay quiet, she knew they were close behind her anyway, she tripped and stumbled as she went her feet constantly becoming entangled in the thick undergrowth of the forest floor. She was covered all over in cuts from all the plants taring at her skin as she ran but she ignored that fact focusing only on staying alive, an arrow with blue tinted feathers flew over her head and she ducked low.
Aleana's POV
I could see an orange light up ahead and at this time of night that could mean only one of two things either there was a forest fire which was unlikely due to the fact everything was wet from the winter rain or someone was camped ahed, I was absolutely exhausted but I pushed on another burst of speed praying to reach the fire before the woads caught up to me. I was so close to the fire now, and i could hear the crackling of wood, and then suddenly i burst into the clearing, i fell with a thud waking up who ever was asleep in the clearing. I didn't have time to pay attention to them however as the woads were still close on my tail i removed my bow from my body and grabbed two of my arrows and loaded them into my bow. I pulled it tight and aimed at the tree line, i was still led on the damp forest floor where i had fallen but i hoped that this would give me a slight advantage as they would look to the people behind me first. I kept my breathing steady as i waited, i could hear voices behind me but payed no attention to them as i waited, then i saw it a flash of blue skin and then a cry was heard all across the clearing as the woads attacked, i released my arrows hitting one woad in the eye and the woad just behind him just above his heart, they both fell to the floor and i pushed myself to my feet grabbing another arrow and loading it into my bow, i released it almost instantly hitting another woad in the eye, i was aware of the sound of clashing metal behind me and I glanced behind me and saw the occupants of the clearing all engaged in a fight in some form, no more woads were coming into the clearing so I turned and decided to help the men who were largely outnumbered. I loaded my bow and began firing at the woads who had there backs turned to me, soon i was out of arrows, there were only a few left though and the men were quickly cutting them down. Then it happened a woad appeared out of nowhere and jumped behind one of the men, the man in question was fighting with two swords and had a clean shaven face and dark curly hair, as he cut down the woad in front of him the woad behind him lifted a sword above his head meaning to plunge it into the mans back, i knelt down and took the dagger from my boot and threw it, the man watched as it sailed through the air towards his face, it passed him by centimetres and hit the woad behind him in the eye he turned and watched the woad crumple to the floor in a heap and turned to look back at me. I looked away from him and to the other men two we're still finishing off the last of the woads, I stayed where i was stood for a moment before going to the bodies behind me and collecting my arrows back up from the bodies that scattered the floor. Everything was silent again and I stood back up to my full hight and looked to all the men in the clearing, they were all staring at me. I began to feel uncomfortable under their gazes but held my grown staring straight back at the one I assumed to be the leader, he took a step forward and the grip on my bow tightened, i couldn't help myself i had been alone for years and i trusted no one except myself with my life and as far as i was concerned everyone was my enemy. He seemed to notice my wariness and spoke from where he was stood, "who are you?" he asked. I understood what he said but I decided not to answer him. After a short while he asked "do you understand me?" I nodded in reply. "Why doesn't she talk?" one of the men behind the leader asked. No one answered his question, the leader spoke to me again "My name is Artorius Castus and these are my men" he gestured with his hand around him at the men who occupied the clearing. I nodded, and this time decided to speak up "Arthur and his Sarmatian knights, yes I have heard of you" I kept my voice quiet and level but made sure they could all hear me. "Are you heading to your home?" Arthur asked me. I shrugged than said " home's a long way away and a long time gone, i don't have a destination." He nodded and then said, "You will travel with us, you were being chased by woads we can not allow you to travel alone" there was a sudden outcry of voices as the knights voiced their protests to me staying, which was quickly settled when Arthur told them to shut up. I was so tiered I wasn't in the right mind to argue, i nodded once at Arthur and then went to collect my dagger from the eye of the woad i had killed to save the knight. I walked past the knight and watched him out of the conner of my eye as I did, his hand lifted up and flew up to the hilt of sword, I smirked and retrieved my dagger and then wiped it clean on the grass before replacing it back into my boot. The knights apart from two had settled back down around the fire the knight i had saved was still watching me questionably and another had sat down by the trunk of a tree off to the right of the fire. I until I was about five feet away from the knight sat beneath the tree, he stared at me for a moment which i returned before i looked up and jumped and grabbed hold of the branch above me with my hands and dangled there for a second before i began to swing until I had enough momentum to swing my legs up around the branch. I pulled myself up onto the branch and looked down, I saw the knight bellow me staring up at me and I looked back at him, i couldn't help but notice the tattoos on his high cheekbones they two simple marks on each cheek. I smiled lightly at him before swinging my legs up onto the branch with me and hiding myself in the shadows of the branches i tied the rope i had around my waist around my legs to stop me from falling from the tree when i fell asleep. I heard a screech from above and saw a Hawk flying high in the sky its silhouette gliding across the sky, I watched it for a while before it disappeared from sight and contented myself with looking up to the dark star scattered sky.
I must of fallen asleep last night as the next thing i knew i was waking up to the cold crisp winter air, i breathed out a sigh and my breath rose like a mist in the air before me, I looked around and saw that there was a knight on watch as i had assumed there would be. I untied the rope and tied it back around my waist and then jumped from the tree landing near silently, on the ground. The knight on watch was the one i saved yesterday, i nodded to him before turning to the right and walking into the forest "hey where are you going" the knight asked. "Hunt" i walked about 50 years away from the clearing and then spotted a movement in the bushes, i knelt and had my bow ready in seconds, i spotted brown fur and grinned, it was a deer, I stayed silent and unmoving as it crept closer having not seen me yet, when i had the perfect aim, i released the arrow and watched it fly through the air silent and deadly before connecting with it's target. I watched the dear fall, before standing up and walking quietly over to the deer and slinging it over my shoulders holding onto it's hind legs with my right hand and it's front with my left. I turned and headed back to the clearing my catch slung over my shoulders, when i re entered the clearing and found that half of the knights were awake now, as I entered all eyes turned to me and walked over to the fire and dropped the deer next to it. Everyone was silent before the large bold knight spoke up, looks like breakfast is served. He grabbed the dead animal and began to skin it, I went and sat down a little way off from the knights as they fished preparing the meat for cooking. After a few peaceful minutes of sitting there alone a shadow loomed over me I looked up and saw the dark curly haired knight, he took a seat beside me said "Thanks for yesterday" I nodded, "I'm Lancelot by the way." i nodded again. "Not one for talking are you?" he asked and i shook my head. He smirked and go back up, "well i'll leave you to your thoughts then" he walked over to the other nights who were now cooking the meat, my stomach rumbled quietly as the smell of the cooking food met my nose. I turned and looked over my shoulder at all of the knights eating the meat and chatting amongst themselves, i then jumped when something tapped my shoulder, i looked up and found the Knight from last night with the tattoos stood above me. He held out a large piece of cooked meat in his hand, i nodded and took it from him tearing a large bit of between my teeth, the meat was tender in the centre and a small amount of the meats juices dribbled down my chin, i whipped it away with my wrist as a i chewed I looked over my shoulder to see the knight had gone and sat back under the tree he was under last night. A hawk flew over head before, flying down and landing on the arm of the knight, i smiled as he spoke quietly to the bird. I had nearly finished my meat now but i was full, so i tucked it into a small pouch that hung around waist. I got to my feet and stretched the knights were packing things into the saddle bags of there horses, Arthur walked over to me and I turned to him as he did. "we are going to be riding, I'm afraid you will have to share horses" i nodded. "you can ride with me first" I nodded again and waited as he mounted his horse, he offered me his hand but i ignored his hand and jumped and swung my leg over the horse i was sat just behind him on the saddle and slid my arms behind me to grip the back of the saddle so I didn't need to warp my arms around his waist.
